Mensa Foundation

Is giftedness a form of neurodivergence?

It sounds like a straightforward question. The research does not provide a straightforward answer.

The Mensa Foundation asked Dr. Sakhavat Mammadov of the University of Georgia to examine how the existing literature defines giftedness and neurodivergence. His review found that the answer changes with the framework being used, leaving the boundary between the two concepts contested.

That uncertainty matters because labels can determine whether people are recognized and what support becomes available. The consequences can be especially significant for twice-exceptional individuals: Their abilities can mask their difficulties, while those difficulties can obscure their giftedness.

📖 Read the executive summary or explore the full literature review:
https://ow.ly/cNF250ZRbHs

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙: 𝙄𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩?

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Having many interests can be a strength. Figuring out what to do with all of them? That’s where things get interesting.

Join Dr. Angela C. Meyers as she explores how polymathic thinkers can connect their interests, communicate the value of their interdisciplinary strengths, and build lives that make room for the way they think.

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗤&𝗔:https://ow.ly/njS450ZPMUq

🎉𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗵𝗶, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁!

Yasemin is exploring creativity in an unexpected place: the math classroom. Her research looks at how teachers recognize mathematical creativity and how their views can shape students’ opportunities to think creatively.

The Dissertation Mini-Grant provides $2,500 to help advanced doctoral students pursue research that can deepen our understanding of intelligence and gifted education.
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.

Celebrate Yasemin with a gift. You can help the Mensa Foundation invest in emerging researchers and give promising ideas the support they need to move forward.

𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲: mensafoundation.org/give/

How much human potential goes unrecognized because we haven't learned to see it?

Abilities can be obscured by disability. Cultural assumptions and traditional identification practices can also keep talented people from being recognized.

The researchers and educators honored through this year’s Mensa Foundation awards are working to change that. Their work examines how giftedness is identified and developed, with particular attention to learners whose abilities do not fit familiar patterns.

Together, these recipients are asking sharper questions about who gets recognized — and who might still be waiting to be seen.

📖 Meet this year’s award, grant, and fellowship recipients:
https://www.mensafoundation.org/foundation-awards-recognize-those-asking-big-questions-about-human-potential/

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏?

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🎉 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗹 𝗝𝗿., 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽!

Tyrone is focused on students whose abilities can be easy to overlook. His work explores how schools can better identify and support twice-exceptional learners, with the goal of creating a digital toolkit for rural school districts.

The Gifted Education Fellowship provides $5,000 to help exceptional educators advance their graduate studies and make a difference in their communities. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.

Celebrate Tyrone with a gift today. You can help the Mensa Foundation invest in more educators who are finding new ways to recognize potential and help gifted learners thrive.

𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲: mensafoundation.org/give/

See where the Foundation is headed.
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://ow.ly/X8Q650ZNzea

What do we lose when we specialize? Dr. Angela C. Meyers explores polymathy and the value of learning across domains. Read: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 https://ow.ly/BAuC50ZMpF2

We’re excited to announce that Yiying Lu, an award-winning artist, designer, and global creative leader, is joining Brilliance by the Bay as our Mensa Foundation-sponsored keynote speaker!

Yiying will present “Designing for Belonging: Creativity Connects Us,” exploring how visual language, creativity, and storytelling can connect people across cultures and communities.

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Yiying Lu is an award-winning creative leader at the intersection of art, technology & culture. Creator of the Twitter Fail Whale and six Unicode emojis, including 🥟 and 🧋, she has led work for the UN and Disney Shanghai. An Adobe Global Creative Ambassador and former SF Arts Commissioner, she explores how design creates belonging across cultures and billions of screens.

Meet Our Mensa Foundation-Sponsored Keynote Speaker Yiying Lu | San Francisco Regional Mensa We’re excited to announce that Yiying Lu, an award-winning artist, designer, and global creative leader, is joining Brilliance by the Bay as a Mensa Foundation-sponsored keynote speaker! Yiying will present “Designing for Belonging: Creativity Connects Us,” exploring how visual language, creat...

Have your questions answered and your opinions heard!
Register: https://ow.ly/XRjE50ZIsHf

🎉 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗿. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗻𝗮𝘇 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗶, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽!

Shahnaz is working to help establish gifted education as a field of research and practice in Indonesia. Her research explores how talent develops throughout life, and she plans to return to Indonesia to establish a research center focused on giftedness and talent development.

The Gifted Education Fellowship provides $5,000 to help exceptional educators advance their graduate studies and make a difference in their communities. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.

Celebrate Shahnaz with a gift today. You can help the Mensa Foundation invest in more educators building a better future for gifted learners worldwide.

𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲: mensafoundation.org/give/